I have been on anti-depressents for 5 years now mostly Zoloft. Recently I discovered that Zoloft was not the correct one for me it mostly made me more down then feeling better. I have tried Paxcil, Paxcil Cr, Prozac, Lexaprol and now I am on Cymbalta, these all make me feel great but I absolutly can not sleep at night. I have tried different doses, taking at different times of the day, taking sleeping pills and nothing seems to help me sleep. I could use some advise I want to feel good but I also want to sleep 7 hours at night.

You have posed a question that is something that a lot of people with depression have to deal with. I have really never had a problem sleeping until I went on Effexor XR (it seems to make me kind of hyper) and was diagnosed with MSA the last few months. I get up many times to go to bathroom and toss and turn trying to find a place that my muscles can relax. Ambien has helped, Lunesta not so much. Sometimes I will take benadryl to help also, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol PM (without the tylenol).

I wonder if you have talked to your doctor about not sleeping at night? As lack of sleep can aggravate depression greatly. Also if you are taking any other medications that could be interacting with your antidepressant to cause this effect, is something to look into. If this is not the case, your doctor can refer you to a sleep disorder specialist who would be best for assessing you for problems and give recommendations on what to do.

In the meantime hopefully others will post if they are having this same problem and have some advice for you. Take care...

Hi there. I am also on 60 mg of Cymbalta and have experienced the same insomnia. For the first few weeks I was on it, I was waking up at 3:30 am every morning, like clockwork, but would fall back asleep in 20 minutes or so. Then I started taking it around dinner time and haven't had any insomnia problems when sleeping at night.

I have been on Cymbalta for almost 2 months now but have actually noticed that I have been more fatigued and tired than usual. I am finding that even if I get a good nights sleep, I am still tired in the afternoon. I used to exercise every other day but now when I try to, I get fatigued so easily. Have you had this problem??

Hazed247, It seems that in the higher doses of Cymbalta it can cause insomnia in some people. In double blind studies at out of 138 patients at 20mg insomnia was a complaint for 2 people. When the dosage was increased to 40 up to 80mg it tripled to 7 people. This is according to PharmaNote January 2005 volume 20 issue 4. This information also has to be printed inside the package insert that comes with your medication under adverse reactions. So, if you are having problems I would talk to the prescribing physician regarding this. Take care and please keep us updated....

I understand what you're talking about. I've taken Paxil and am currently on Lexaprol and there are a few things that I've found that works:

CUT BACK A LITTLE YOUR USUAL DOSE - For example, if you're taking 10mg, reduce it to 7.5, and put the remainders in a safe place to take the following day. You WILL notice a helpful difference.IF YOU SMOKE OR DRINK COFFEE/TEA --- QUIT! or don't do it after dinnertime. Any stimulants are amplified by these drugs.EXERCISE - it WILL help tire you out if you can work this into your daily schedule.MEDITATION - get a copy of THETA MEDITATION SYSTEM audio...and listen it to it just before you plan to go to sleep. It was created by a sleep doctor (Jeffrey Thompson) to help people relax and I've fallen asleep while listening to it. It's weird but you feel it working.

Lack of sleep WILL do you more harm than good. It's not worth it. Eventually pack your bags and move to the south or the U.S. Islands, where life is more laid back and people are generally nicer, that's what I'm going to do in about 5-10 years (to help heal the damage of our consumer-based, dog-eat-dog society)...or try your best to work one of those things into your schedule.

Good luck!

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Hi there, I was just searching the internet for this very reason and came across this site and joined! I have just started taking cymbalta (30mg once daily). It's only been a week since I started taking, but I have had a lot of trouble sleeping, which I have not had prior to taking. My sleep problems consist of tossing and turning, getting up to go to the bathroom several times a night, and leg discomfort while lying in bed (I feel a throbbing discomfort running down the muscles in the back of my legs!). I was wondering if anyone had any advice, and I think I've read a few suggestions from this forum. Here's my plan:

-I am going to call my doc. and inform him of the issue.-I have been taking my meds in the morning, so can try switching to taking at night-I am a regular exerciser, but have not been exercising lately due to holiday schedules, so I'm hoping once I get back into my routine this will help!-I prefer not to take anything else, but I can look into taking a sleep aid if its safe to take with the meds.

If anyone has any other advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I miss having a good nights sleep. Sleep deprivation is a terrible feeling!

well i have being trying sound therapy healing for my depression and i found it really safe and simple its being very effective for me hope it will work for other

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I've been on Cymbalta for 3 months now - not for depression but because it relieves the nerve pain in my head. From the beginning my dr. told me to take a muscle relaxer at night (Flexeril) to also help with the pain. I've tried going without the Flexeril and found that I just couldn't sleep, so I've resigned myself to the fact that I can't take one without the other. I know y'all probably don't want to take any more medication, but if you're desperate, you might want to try a muscle relaxer.

I found this thread because I was looking for info on Cymbalta & weight gain - have any of you gained wt. while on it?

Someone mentioned stopping taking tea or coffee earlier, I'd go crazy by doing that! No, what I do is to switch to decaffeinated from around six or seven pm. Same taste but doesn't irritate the gut, as I have Crohns Disease as well as depression, and doesn't stop the sleep thing.

I also listen to spoken word radio, or to readings or plays on tape or CD. Will fall asleep with no problem if I forget I'm trying to sleep but am listening to other voices, in the dark! For example, I have a two tape set of a reading of Barbaran Vine's novel A Dark Adapted Eye but I've never reached the end of Side One, I'm asleep before I reach the end.

I have one word for you to help you sleep and could help w/your depression as well---

Trazodone.

Best med I ever had, keep in mind every'body' is different and reacts different, but as your pdoc, maybe he/she will have you try it. Trazodone is an antidepressant (not a tranquilizer or sleeping aid) but is used to help sleep.